How to Get Started With Instagram Ads

With more than 400 million users, Instagram is an official social media beast, and now that they offer advertising options, it’s a great way to connect with potential customers.

There’s just one problem: Instagram provides almost ZERO help in launching an ad campaign. It’s like the help section was written by an antisocial hermit who has never interacted with real people. An antisocial hermit who, for some reason, likes Instagram.

The point is, the help section sucks.

Look at this first image:

Well then. That’s about as helpful as a rugby player on a debate team. Advertisers are taken to the power editor and then left alone to flounder.

On top of this, there are very few case studies to determine what actually works for Instagram ads, making Instagram the Wild West of social media advertising, with everyone firing blind.

That’s where I come in.

I’m going to walk you through, step-by-step, the process of setting up your advertising account and exploring the different ad types Instagram offers.

Setting Up The Advertising Account

Because Instagram is owned by Facebook, all Instagram advertising accounts run through your Facebook account. In order to get up and running, you need to sync your Facebook page (not your personal account) with Instagram.

Choosing your ad type

Instagram ads are particularly powerful because they are truly native ads. In other words, they fit perfectly into the Instagram platform. No sidebars. No popups. No unsightly banner ads. Upon first glance, Instagram ads look like any other post.

In order to create high-converting Instagram ads, it’s important to first understand the three different forms ads can take.

Carousel Ads

Carousel ads allow you to insert multiple images for users to swipe through. If your product is best represented in multiple angles and multiple photos, this is a great option. You can link out to an external site which triggers when the user clicks.

Image Ads

Image ads only allow one image per ad.

If you can present your product in a compelling manner with a single photo, this is a solid option. Like the carousel ads, you can link out to an external URL.

Add a call-to-action button to tell people what you want them to do when they see your ad. You can choose from:

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Video ads

With video becoming increasingly popular on social media, 30 second video ads (with sound) are a great way to tell the story of your product and connect with customers on a deeper level. You also have the option to link to an external URL.

Bitrate: No limit to bitrate file if you’re using two pass encoding, as long as long as your file doesn’t exceed 1 GB. Otherwise, 8 megabits per second for 1080p and 4 megabits per second for 720p.

Call To Action

Add a call-to-action button to tell people what you want them to do when they see your ad. You can choose from:

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Wrapping it up

Yes, trying to navigate Instagram advertising is about as easy as canceling your Comcast service. But once you actually understand how the system works, you can get a high-powered, high-converting Instagram ad campaign up and running in no time.